I’ll agree that the ability to snag an iPhone in the past was a contract-free process. But, if you’d had done your homework, you’d know Apple’s plan to change their business model for iPhone 2.0.

See: Engadget Mobile’s The iPhone 3G on AT&T: we ask the burning questions

“Will it be available as a Gophone (prepaid service)?
“No, only available with a two-year contract.” Pretty cut and dried there. We’re also told that there will be no contract-free price on postpaid service; the one and only way to get in on this action will be to re-up your commitment to AT&T. Unofficially, we’ve been slipped information that AT&T’s typical upgrade eligibility rules apply when signing the new contract, and there will be a separate (read: higher) pricing scheme for “non-qualified upgrades.” These prices have not yet been set.”

Apple/AT&T’s change in revenue structure is precisely why they are able to sell it so cheap. If you think about it, iPhone 3G’s pricing structure is in line with other contracted smart phones.

Compare:
HTC Touch: w/ contract: $250; w/o contract: $499
iPhone 3G: w/ contract: $199; w/o contract: TBD

All I’m saying is, don’t be snowed by Apple’s clever marketing campaign. I won’t argue the fact that Apple changed the game for manufacturers, because you’re right.

P.S. My bad on the HTC Touch with Sprint… I was thinking HTC Touch Pro, which looks too hot to handle.

Well, again, I’m not here to argue that you’re wrong. nor am I a iPhone fan (personally, I’m in love with the new Sony Ericsson’s Xperia X1). but I can’t stop the urge to set some facts right. First of all, HTC touch is not off limit, it is offer by sprint (go check it out on their web page), and it is retail at $499 before contract. lets go back to the contract thing, shall we? Yes, you need to sign a new 2 year contract with at&t to get the new iPhone, as well as many other phones they offer, and the same goes with all the other carrier. I’m aware of what they announced, yes, you do need to activated at the at&t store when you buy it. But as for buying it directly from apple, it is still the same $199 and you don’t have to activated right there and then, and there are already ways on how to unlock the 2.0 firmware using Pwnage tool

OK, back to the price point. So you can get an iPhone 3g through apple for $199 without actually activated/sign a contract, which you can go back and unlock it. All of the above price point you mentioned, all have to sign a 2 years contract with a carrier first to get those price! I think i already make my point here.

Oh, one more thing. HTC diamond is not off limit as well, since you can buy it online! yes, it is not currently available through any of our half ass mobile carriers here in US of A, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get one. there’s a little thing call the “interweb” aka the Internet.

As for Nokia N95, it is not officially available from again, all the half ass mobile carriers we have here, but it is officially available through nokia north america, which you can get it through directly, again, a little thing call the “interweb”.

My point is, the aggresive price point apple offer for its iPhone 3G, should make all the other headset maker troublesome, and if i’m correct, apple simple just annouce the new product, but they certainly did not make it like “yeah, we’re going to blow everyone away. And if they did, so what? better for the mobile industry as a whole and set the standard higher, which at the end benefit all of us end user.

well, I rest my case.

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=iphone

NSFW!!

That said, you wrong on the AGPS knock. AGPS is a real GPS chip which is enhanced by cell tower information, not replaced by it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGPS

Thanks for the comment. While I’ll concede that the iPhone’s capacity is something I overlooked, I’d argue that your comparison prices are slightly misleading. No one would argue that these phones are expensive, but let’s not compare apples and oranges: you are sharing the full retail prices of these phones.

HTC Touch and Diamond are off-limits, as no carrier has released contract prices yet. But for the rest of the pack, your numbers are exaggerated. A 3G MotoQ Global (with A-GPS) at AT&T is offered for $149 with contract. A 3G Samsung Blackjack 2 (with A-GPS) is $99 with contract. A Blackberry Curve, while serving up EDGE data, is also $99 with contract. A 4gb SD card which runs for about $50—while unsupported (each phone has a 2gb support cap)—has been proven compatible with these devices.

My point is not necessarily to say that the iPhone isn’t as good a deal as the rest of these phones, but to say that Apple’s iPhone marketing is aimed at saying “we completely blow away all the competition,” when other experiences are just as good.

maybe you don’t the money to throw at the iphone 3g or whatever your reason’s are. I still think you’re a bit too harsh on apple’s second time around to improve what’s already been one of the best invention in a while!

please, please, please, next time around (for iphone 3.0). do your research and also compare other phone before you shout out opinions like the one you just wrote!

here a little info for anyone who care to compare
nokia N95 – retail at $750 (yes you read it, $750!!)
htc touch – $499
htc diamond – the cheapest i can find online is $699.95
Moto Q – $399
samsung black jack 2 – $349
blackberry – the cheapest one start at $299
the list go on and on and on…
for as little as $199, you get all that you can with iphone, i don’t think it will be a hard to choose for anyone who’s looking for the coolest phone on the market.